Tamping machine



Oct. 18, 1932. J. Dv ABRAM 1,882,681

TAMPING MACHINE rch 2l, 1927 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l WWW j ATToRNEx/,

Oct. 18, 1932. 1 D, ABRAM 1,882,681

TAMPING MACHINE Filed'Maroh 2l. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEK` Patented Oct. 18,A 1932 JOHN D. ABRAM, F DETROIT, MICHIGANM frnislrrnve MACHINE .Application filed March 21:, 18927. Serial No. 1775135.

This invention relates to .tamping machines such as are used forv tamping grout or other material in molds or the like and is an improvement upon the construction shown'and described in my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 91,6117, iled March 1,1926'. l

One of the essential objects of the present invention is to provide a tamping machine in which rubber snubbers are used in" connection with the tamping rods, thereby eliminating the use of springs and insuring less vibration and noise and greater rebound in the tamping bars, practically eliminatng the frequent and expensive necessity of making replacement of broken springs.

Another object is to provide rubber inserts instead of springs in connection with the tamper bar retaining levers which also eliminates the necessity of constantly lreplacing broken springs.

Still another object is the provision of means for conveying the'material to a feeding magazine from where it is adapted tobe fed by a suitable conveyor into the mold box. 'S Another object is to provide control means for operating the vseveral parts of the machine which are conveniently located and `may be easily operated by a single person.

lVith these and other objects in view, the

si) invention resides in the novel features of construction, the combination, and arrangements oi' parts as are more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: v

Figure 1 is a front proved machine,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the means for operating the conveyor mechanismroml the power shaft.

Figure l is a view of a scraper for removing the material from the under side of the conveyor. y Figure 5 is a detailed view of one ofthe elevation of my im-l retainer levers showing the rubber inserts in cooperative relation therewith.

Figure 6 is a detail view of one of the rubber inserts.

0i Figure 7 is a detail view of one of the sections of a housing for retaining the rubber inserts.

Figure y8 is a section on ure 1.

v4ln the accompanying line 8-8 of Figthe letter A represents the machine rameand B the grout or other molding mixture, receiving and molding apparatus, the latter being of the usual or other preferred construc- 601 tion.

Reciprocably mounted in bearings 10 and 11 area plurality of tamping rods 12, carrying at their lower ends the tamping feed 13 adapted for engagement with the material yto pack the same in the mold. Mounted on opposite sides of frame A are upper'and lower supporting bearings 14 for respectively mounting shafts 15 and 16, the former being suitably powerl driven and the latter forming an idlerV shaft. Preferably journalled to the upper and lower shafts are driving and driven sprockets 18 and 19, respectively, corresponding sprockets being engaged by endless chains 20, the latter being preferably located at the rear of the tamping rods.

For imparting a lifting action to the rods 12, `the chains 20 are provided at suitable intervals throughout their lengths with lift lugs 21, shown best in Figure 5these lugs being preferably in the nature of rollers supported by the brackets 22 and forming a connecting link of the chain. The lugs. are thus offset :trom the line of travel of the chains toward the tamping rods. l

Engageable by the lugs 2l are the rearwardly extending shouldered portions 23 of the lift collars C. These collars are formed of the complementary sections 24 and 25 and 9G are adapted for clamping engagement with their respective rods 12 by reason of the clamping bolts 26.

The lift collars are formed with the primary and secondary vertically spaced shou-lders 27 and 28 respectively, engageable by the end portions 29 of retaining levers 30, the object of the secondary shouldersy 28 being to allow Jfor engagement of the retaining levers with the collars 29 when the operating speed me drawings wherein 65. y like characters of reference indlcate llke parts,

as by belt pulley 17 70` is insufficient to impart the necessary momen- 'tum to the tamping rods 12 to carry the same above the path of the endless chain 20. The retaining levers 30 are loosely mounted on the shaft 33, this shaft being eccentrically mounted in liXed bearings 34 and being adapted to be rocked successively in opposite directions by the lever arm 35, link 36 and actuating lever 37 pivoted at 38 to the frame A. The retaining levers 30 are each formed with oppositely extending lugs 39 and 40 selectively engageable by oppositely disposed rubber inserts 41. ed in housings D preferably constructed of complementary sections 42 and 43, each section being fixed to the shaft 33 as by set screws 44.

- As will be noted, each section 42 and 43 is divided into spaced pockets 45 of substantial-l ly circular formation within which are posiioned the inserts 41. Each insert is interchangeable one with the other and consists of the substantially circular base portion 46 fitting` into the pocket 45 and the projecting arm 47 adapted to'engage one of the lugs 39 and 40. The base portion of each insert is also provided with the concave po-rtion 48 for effecting a tight fit with that portion of the retainer journaled on the shaft 33.

The letter E designates stop collars for limiting the downward travel under gravity of the tamping rods 12,' these collars being adjustably clamped longitudinally of the tamping rods by means of clamping bolts 49. The collars E are engageable in the lower limit of movement of the tamping rods with cylindrical rubber snubbers 50 supported by the upper tamper bar bearing 10, these snubbers being adapted to absorb the shock incident to the reciprocation of the tamping rods. Snubbers 51 are also placed between the lift collars C and the upper bar bearing 10 for absorbing the shock of the upper limiting travel of the tamping rods. vThese snubbers eliminate noise and insure greater rebound than ifsprings were used in the place of the. same.

For conveying the material to be operated upon by the tamper bars, there isprovided an elevator F consisting of the guiding and supporting member 52, around which the endless chain conveyor 53 is adapted to travel. This conveyor elevates the material from any suitable hopper (not shown) to a magazine G, and is driven from the shaft 53 journaled in the supporting members 532, these members in turn being mounted upon the frame A and overhanging the rear of the same.

v As shown, this magazine is supported upon the frame A extending longitudinally thereof in the rear of the chains 20 and is open at the top for allowing the material from the elevator to be deposited therein. To facilitate this operation, the rear wall of the magazine is terminated short of the remainder of the These inserts are mountwalls, allowing the upper end portion of the conveyor to extend partially within the magazine, the overhanging supports 532 providing sufficient clearance for the passage of the elevator out of the magazine. This arrangement practically insures the complete introduction of the material into the magazine and prevents any particles of the same from falling over the front and side walls thereof upon the vmoving parts of the machine, thereby eliminating the possibility of injury to these moving parts.

The magazine is provided adjacent the bottom thereof with aligned openings a and a through which a belt conveyor H is adapted to pass. As shown, this conveyor during the upper travel thereof, is practically enclosed by the lower portion of the magazine, the bottom thereof constituting a support for the belt. This arrangement provides for the even distribution of the material upon the belt and prevents the spilling thereof upon the other parts of the machine.

The belt H is supported upon the frame A and for driving the same, there is pro-vided a shaft 54 upon which is secured a drive wheel 55 meshing with the pinion 56, which in turn is journaled upon a stub shaft 57. A sprocket wheel 58 is also journaled upon the shaft 7 and is rigidly secured to the pinion 56 so as to be driven therewith.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 16 is a clutch assembly comprising complementary clutch members 59 and 59a, the member 59 being a modification of one of the driven sprockets 19 carrying one of the endless chains 20 to rotate therewith. The member 59a is provided with a yoke 60 for moving the same into and out of clutching engage` ment with the member 59. The member 59a is also provided with a sprocket wheel 61 carrying sprocket chains 62 to sprocket wheel 58. y v As will be noted the yoke 60 is pivoted to the frame A and in the present instance is operated by means of the foot lever 63 through the flexible wire 64. It will therefore be obvious that a pressure of the foot on the lever 63 will engage clutch member 59a with the member 59 transmitting mo tion to the wheels 55 and 56 and to the belt H. Suitable spring means 64 are provided for throwing the clutch members out of engagement when the foot lever is at rest and stop collar 59o is suitably mounted on idler shaft 16 to limit the spread of the clutch members when disengaged.

It will also be noted that when the members 59 and 59a are unclutched as shown in Figure 1, the sprocket wheels 58 and 6l are out of vertical alignment and thereby throw the chain 62 also out of vertical alignment. However, just as soon as the members 59 and 59a are thrown into clutching engagement, the wheel 61 is realigned with the Wheel 58 and at the same time moves'the chain .62 to a true vertical position so that no injury is done to the wheels and chain during the operation thereof.

In Figure l is shown a scraper 65so mounted upon the frame A as to Contact with the under side of the belt H for clearing the same of any of the material which may have come into contact with the inner side of the belt and which, if not disposed of, would quickly destroy the belt.

As will be noted, the member 11 consists of the upper bearing portions 67 for the tamping rods 12 and the lower enlarged skirt or protector- 68. This arrangement prevents any of the material from being thrown up into contact with the sprocket wheels and chains during the reciprocation` of the rods 12 and greatly facilitates the eilicient operation of the machine.

In operation, power may be transmitted to the shaft 53 through the belt pulley 66 for operating the elevator F to lift the material to the magazine G from where it-falls to the belt I-I. lVhen the magazine is suficiently filled, the belt H is operated by throwing the clutch members 59 and 59a into engagement by means of the foot lever 63 whereupon, the material is conveyed from the magazine to the mold B, where it is held in readiness to be operated upon by the tamping feet 13. Preferably the top of the molding apparatus B is positioned in close proximity to the lower portion of the belt H so that the material will fall directly into the mold. Formerly it has been the practice to place the conveyor some distanceabove the mold so that when material was discharged from the belt to the-mold, the coarse par- .ticles of the material would separate out from the liner particles. This is an objectionable feature and is practically eliminated by the present arrangement.

As shown in Figure 5, the tamping rods are supported in inoperative position by engagement with the retaining levers 30 with the primary shoulders 27 of the lift collars C. In this position the outside rubber inserts 46 exert a pressure against the levers 30, tending to maintain them inengaged supporting relation with the lift collars C. In this position the shoulder portions 23 of the lift collars will be free from Contact with the litt lugs 21 as the latter are carried in the endless path by the chains 20.

When it is desired to cause reciprocation of the tamping rods, the lever 37 is pulled for-k relatively great weight of the tamping rods',

buty suiiieient to di'sengagethese levers 'when shaft 31. Release of the weight of the tamping rods from the retaining rods 30 causes movement of the latter-under ,the action of the inside inserts 46.) With the levers thus free of engagement with the lift collars, the tamping rods will be raised by the liftlugs 21 compressing the rubber snubbers 51 between the lift collars C and the upper tampingv bar bearing 10. As rkthe lift lug 21 passes out of aligmnent with the tamper bar 12over the sprocket wheel 18, the bar is thrust downwardly by the compressed rubber snubber 51; and by its own weight tothe point of impact with the material, the lift lugs 21 being suitably placed topermit such reciprocation.

When it is desired to render the tamping rods inoperative, the handle- 37 is again moved throwing the levers 32 downwardly so as to be engaged with the primary shoulders 27 of the lift coll'arsC. Thelift lugs normally impart suiiicient momentum to the tamping rods to cause such engagement. l

It frequently happens thatrwhen the chains are being operated at less than their normal speed as in starting up the machine, the tamping rods will not be given suficient momentum to cause engagement of l the primary shoulders 27 with the levers 30. Since the tamping rods under such conditions will be held in the partially raised positions by engagement of the lift lugs with the shoulders 23, the operator is led to erroneously assume that the levers 30 are supporting the tamping rods. `The machine is frequently left in such condition with the result that should the op-y erator in adjusting one of the tamping rod feet slightly move the chains, one of the liftV lugs may be moved beyond the point of support of the corresponding tamping rod resulting in a sudden downward travel of such rod causing injury to the operator or to the machine parts, mold, etc.

In order to prevent such an accidental release of the tamping rods I have formed the collars C with the shoulder portions 28 so that in the event of operationof the chains at less than their normal speed the lift collars C will nevertheless be suliciently raised to cause supporting engagement of the levers 30 with the shoulders 28. Under such conditions the lift lugs 21 will engage the shoulders 23 each time the lift lugs are brought adl, jacent the upper limit of their travel but such engagement will not free the tamping rods from the levers 30, release being only brought about by actuation of the lever 36.

- During the time that'the tamping rods are inoperative, the housing D may be rotated to a neutral position whereby each ,setofinside andoutside inserts will be out of engagement s lever beyond said housing adapted to be enj with the lugs 39 and 40 of the retaining levers.-

Thus the relative length of time that theseL inserts are placed under tension is negligible and the replacement thereof during the life of the machine is practically eliminated.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided an improved tamping machine wherein the use of springs has been eliminated and have provided, in place thereof,

"rubber members which greatly facilitate the the eiiiciency of the machine.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description, the nature and advantage of my invention will be readily understood, I desire to have it understood, that I do not limit fmyself to the specific construction shown and described andthat such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a tamping machine, a reciprocable tampingmember, a lever engageable therewith, a shaft, a housing mounted thereon and spaced resilient members carried by said housing for selectively exerting pressure upon opposite faces of said lever for yieldably urging said lever into or out of engagement with said tamping member.

' 2. In a tamping machine, a reciprocable tamping member, a lever engageable therewith, a shaft, a housing mounted thereon and spaced' resilient members carried by said housing provided with body portions adapted to be retained in said housing and arms extending from said body portion upon opposite sides of said lever, said arms being adapted to yieldably urge said lever into or out of engagement with said tamping member upon rocking of said shaft.

3. In a tamping machine, a reciprocable .tamping member, a lever engageable therewith, a shaft, a housing mounted thereon provided withspaced pockets and resilient members secured within said pockets and having arms projecting therefrom for yieldably urging said lever into lor out of engagement with said tamping member upon rocking of said shaft.

4. In a tamping machine, a reciprocable tamping member, a lever engageable therewith, a shaft, a housing mounted'thereon provided with spaced pockets and resilient members secured within said pockets and having arms projecting therefrom,-said lever being journalled upon said shaft within the housing between the resilient members, and lugs extendingfrom opposite sides of said gaged` by said projecting arms for exerting pressure upon the lever.

`5.":'In 'a tamping machine, a reciprocable ig'ssaesi tamping member, al lever engageable therewith,-.a shaft, a housingmounted thereon provided with spaced pockets, rubber snubbers having body portions adapted to be retained'in said pockets, arms projecting from rsaid body portions, said lever being journalled upon said shaft within the housing between said body portions, and lugs extending from opposite sides of said lever beyond said housing adapted to be engaged by said projecting arms for exerting pressure upon thelever.

6. In a tamping machine, a frame member, a'tamping rod reciprocable relative thereto, a stop collar and a lift collar carried by said tamping rod and spaced thereon upon opposite sides of said frame member and rubber snubbers carried by said frame members and adapted to be engaged by said collars for absorbing the shock of the upward and downward limiting travel of the tamping rod.

7. In a tamping machine, a frame provided with a cross bar having an opening therethrough, a reciprocable tamping rod carried by said frame member and movable through ysaid opening, a stop collar and a lift collar carried by said tamping rod and spaced thereon upon opposite sides of said cross bar and cylindrical rubber snubbers mounted on said cross bar upon opposite sides of said opening and adapted to be engaged by said collars for absorbing the shock of the upward and downward limiting travel of the tamping rod.

8. In a tamping machine, a frame, a plurality of tamping rods reciprocable thereon and a lower bearing member for said rods provided with means depending therefrom for preventing the material being tamped from being thrown upwardly past the bearing member.

9. In a tamping machine, a frame, a plurality of tamping rods reciprocable thereon, and a lower bearing member for said rods provided with a downwardly extending skirt portion constituting a protector.

10. In a tamping machine, a frame, a plurality of tamping rods reciprocable thereon, a bearing member for said rods and a protector integrally connected thereto comprising spaced walls and laterally extending shoulder portions connecting said bearing member to said walls.

l1. In a tamping machine, a vertically reciprocable tamping member, a lever engageable with said tamping member for holding the same in elevated position, a shaft, and a pair of resilient members movable with said shaft upon rocking of the latter and engageable with said lever for yieldably urging the same into or out of engagement with said tamping member.

l2. In a tamping machine, the combination with a frame, -a vertically reciprocable tamping member, means for effecting a reciprocation of said tamping member, and cooperating stops on said frame and tamping member for limiting movement of said tamping member in one direction, of a rubber snubber interposed between said stops for absorbing the shocks incident to limiting the said movement of the tamping member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN D. ABRAM. 

